No citizen apart from a government department will be allowed to post any update or share any message related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

A tweet by PIB Fact Check confirms that there is no restriction on citizens to share any news except fake about COVID-19.

A tweet by PIB Fact Check confirms that there is no restriction on citizens to share any news except fake about COVID-19.A claim is doing rounds on WhatsApp and other social media platforms saying that under the Disaster Management Act of India no citizen apart from a government department will be allowed to post any update or share any message related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

We found that PIB Fact Check took to Twitter and has stated that the message in circulation is false and misleading. It has also tagged the copy of the Act which clearly states that Sec 54 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 does not impose any restrictions on people to share any news or updates about any certain subject including the coronavirus. But, sending fake or unverified messages and creating panic among people will lead to a jail term.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19 including symptoms, prevention and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.